Preview — Rumble
by Ellen Hopkins

Rumble

Can an atheist be saved? The New York Times bestselling author of Crank and Tricks explores the highly charged landscapes of faith and forgiveness with brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance.

"There is no God, no benevolent ruler of the earth, no omnipotent grand poobah of countless universes. Because if there was ... my little brother would still be fishing or playiCan an atheist be saved? The New York Times bestselling author of Crank and Tricks explores the highly charged landscapes of faith and forgiveness with brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance.

"There is no God, no benevolent ruler of the earth, no omnipotent grand poobah of countless universes. Because if there was ... my little brother would still be fishing or playing basketball instead of fertilizing cemetery vegetation."

Matthew Turner doesn't have faith in anything.

Not in family—his is a shambles after his younger brother was bullied into suicide. Not in so-called friends who turn their backs when things get tough. Not in some all-powerful creator who lets too much bad stuff happen. And certainly not in some "It Gets Better" psychobabble.

No matter what his girlfriend Hayden says about faith and forgiveness, there's no way Matt's letting go of blame. He's decided to "live large and go out with a huge bang," and whatever happens happens. But when a horrific event plunges Matt into a dark, silent place, he hears a rumble … a rumble that wakes him up, calling everything he's ever disbelieved into question....more

There were interesting themes, definitely. I've never read a book that dealt with religion so openly, and this book had interesting ideas about family and love.

However... I just couldn't connect. I didn't care about anyone, I didn't care that much about the plot, and I didn't feel like the results really mattered.

Also, and this, this my friends is the big kicker, I don't understand why this was written in free verse. It didn't serve a siI just don't know about this one, folks, I just don't know.

There were interesting themes, definitely. I've never read a book that dealt with religion so openly, and this book had interesting ideas about family and love.

However... I just couldn't connect. I didn't care about anyone, I didn't care that much about the plot, and I didn't feel like the results really mattered.

Also, and this, this my friends is the big kicker, I don't understand why this was written in free verse. It didn't serve a single purpose! If anything it just made things confusing and feel fragmented. ...more

Having been introduced to the world of verse writing by Ellen's Crank series, I was excited to read some more of her work. While the Crank series will likely always remain my favorite, Rumble was very emotional and touches on important issues.

Ever since his brother committed suicide, Matthew and his family seem like a lost cause. We're introduced to this broken, angry teenage boy who, despite his flaws, burrows into our hearts from the very start. His brother's death has made him extremely angryHaving been introduced to the world of verse writing by Ellen's Crank series, I was excited to read some more of her work. While the Crank series will likely always remain my favorite, Rumble was very emotional and touches on important issues.

Ever since his brother committed suicide, Matthew and his family seem like a lost cause. We're introduced to this broken, angry teenage boy who, despite his flaws, burrows into our hearts from the very start. His brother's death has made him extremely angry - angry at his parents for not accepting his brother's homosexuality, at the kids that bullied him, at god for turning his back on him. It's a very angry novel, and one that is miles deep with a level of maturity that would make this best for upper YA readers. As expected, Ellen has painted honest characters who feel incredibly authentic. There's no sugar coating in this story. It's raw, it's dark, and we get a close, intimate look at Matthew's fall into this depression brought on by guilt and blame.

One thing I was wary of when I read this blurb was the religious mentions - it sounded like an extremely religious novel which usually does not work for me, but I still had to try it anyways. For those feeling the same, don't shy away from this book for that reason. There are religious themes in this story, yes, but it's integrated so well in Matt's character and larger-than-life questions that it becomes a natural part of this story. Mostly it comes from Matt's essay that he wrote with anger in his heart, on which he denies the existence of a higher being - how can there be when there's so much hate in the world? It does make you think, and I was really intrigued by his point-of-view, to be honest. It's with the help of this essay that we really get to delve deep in his character and understand the rage he feels; as if he was betrayed by life itself, by his faith. And as with all good character-driven novels, Matt really grows throughout the story. He slowly comes to terms with the cards he was dealt in life. He's a character who many will be able to relate with, and with a voice that makes you understand his perspective as well as his anger.

There are several layers of story in this novel. Aside from suicide, religion, sexuality, and Matt's depression, we also touch on PTSD and the effects of war in Matt's uncle's story. This was maybe not totally necessary to the overall story, but it gave us a poignant side-story with a character who seemed to actually understand Matt. He became a sort of rock that was holding Matt together. It also ended with a sudden, tragic turn of events that I hadn't expected. I do think the ending overall was a tad hurried, and things resolved a bit too conveniently for my taste.

I love how emotionally invested Ellen can make me with her fantastic prose and incredibly genuine characters. I also love how she tackles difficult, even controversial topics; she tells it like it is. If you see life through rose-colored glasses, this author may not be for you.

Ellen Hopkins and I have a rocky history. I really appreciated the raw look into screwed up teenagers' lives in Burned and Impulse, but Crank was too much for me. It made me uncomfortable and I didn't enjoy it at all, but at least it provided a bit of insight into the controlling world of drugs.

In the author's other books, the dark subjects were harrowing but informative. Rumble was just plain despicable. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into and turned skeptical when I discovered it was aEllen Hopkins and I have a rocky history. I really appreciated the raw look into screwed up teenagers' lives in Burned and Impulse, but Crank was too much for me. It made me uncomfortable and I didn't enjoy it at all, but at least it provided a bit of insight into the controlling world of drugs.

In the author's other books, the dark subjects were harrowing but informative. Rumble was just plain despicable. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into and turned skeptical when I discovered it was about a teenage atheist.

But whatever, I'm a pretty open reader and thought it might provide some insight into the mindset of atheists. What I didn't expect was for the main character to be so judgmental, pessimistic, and obnoxious. Matt never ceased to discriminate against Christians and the Bible when he didn't even believe in God. Like, dude, if you think it's all fiction anyway why put so much effort into being angry about it?

I also thought the portrayal of Christians was heavily biased. Matt was angry at the Christian kids in his school because they made fun of his gay brother who eventually committed suicide. It was such a warped viewpoint, showing the evil Christians who acted perfect on Sunday but came to school to hate on the poor gay kid.

Matt can't stand his girlfriend's stereotypical Christian father either, who spies on Matt and Hayden kissing, preaches to Matt that he's going to Hell, and tries to get a book banned from school. Basically the Christians were portrayed as fake, hateful conservatives who looked down on any non-Christians.

Then there's Matt's messed up family situation at home. His parents don't love each another, then Matt finds out his dad is cheating on his mom. Naturally, this makes Matt infuriated and he thinks his dad is the biggest loser to roam the earth.

But, wait, why is this fact so sick and wrong when, in fact, Matt cheats on his own girlfriend? And it wasn't just an "oh, I made a mistake and regret it now" kind of situation. Matt proceeds to break up with the girl he cheated on so he can live happily ever after with his new girl. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's hypocrisy, and Matt was such a hypocrite it flabbergasted me.

If this book had any potential originally it was ruined by the relentless whining of the main character. I wouldn't recommend Rumble to atheists, Christians, or otherwise....more

Ellen Hopkins is honestly, one of my favourite authors and whenever she comes out with a new book I get so fucking excited. And believe me, I was extremely excited for Rumble despite the religion aspect of it because I knew that Hopkins would deliver it in a way that would make sense and not feel like something was being shoved down my throat. However, what I wasn't expecting was the complete lack of intensity and emotion that all of her other novels held. For most of it I wa

3 Mediocre Clouds

Ellen Hopkins is honestly, one of my favourite authors and whenever she comes out with a new book I get so fucking excited. And believe me, I was extremely excited for Rumble despite the religion aspect of it because I knew that Hopkins would deliver it in a way that would make sense and not feel like something was being shoved down my throat. However, what I wasn't expecting was the complete lack of intensity and emotion that all of her other novels held. For most of it I was bored out of my mind skimming the pages full of Matt's relationship with Hayden.

Matt is so whiny. Compared to Four from Allegiant, he's better but not by much. All that seems to take up his time is Hayden and how touch and go it is. If she doesn't want to hang out with him he gets mad. If she doesn't kiss him back as passionately as he wants her to, he gets mad. If she makes a new friend or goes to her church group, he gets mad. If she doesn't text, he gets mad. Pretty much Matt gets mad at just about everything that Hayden does and then complains about it and then rushes to say, "I'm sorry. I love you. You're amazing." After the first few times I let it go. Around page 300 I had enough of this bullshit. I wanted there to be more mention on Luke and the relationship they had together. From what is mentioned about him is great, well described and heartfelt but it's not enough to actually make me believe it as much as I wanted to. Another thing that I disliked is the way Matt's thoughts start to change in the end. It happens at the very end and I was so mad about this. If the event happened sooner in the book, it would have been perfect, Matt would be able to experience something that isn't anger and belief that there is no God. I wished it happened sooner.

Nonetheless, whenever Matt is not complaining about Hayden, there are a few good things going on. Like I mentioned before, the parts about Luke and his struggle as well as Matt's struggles with it are fairly well done. I also liked the religion part of the book because it's well down without feeling like I was being drowned in it. I also liked Matt as a character whenever he's not fuming over Hayden. He's well-developed otherwise, with strong traits and a troubling past. I enjoyed reading his story (and his story alone) because it's quite relatable. Everyone experiences regret and I liked how Hopkins did this.

Rumble could have been so much better. Ellen Hopkins hasn't been one to surround readers with too much romance before but with this one, you can smell it from a mile away. I hated this part of the book which is why I'm giving it a low rating. Despite this though, I still recommend this to people who like Ellen Hopkins and have enjoyed her previous books. Just beware of the romance and how much of the book it actually takes up. ...more

I chose to read this book as a break between a more difficult read. I was pretty sure it would be very fluid, and also easy to read. This is Ellen Hopkin's newest release and I have to say I was, again, not disappointed in the content.

This is about a boy named Matthew Turner, who through life had never gained that sense of faith. Faith in god, or faith in people, or even faith in love. His brother's suicide was a product of bullying and Matthew wants to blame everyone and can forgive no one, inI chose to read this book as a break between a more difficult read. I was pretty sure it would be very fluid, and also easy to read. This is Ellen Hopkin's newest release and I have to say I was, again, not disappointed in the content.

This is about a boy named Matthew Turner, who through life had never gained that sense of faith. Faith in god, or faith in people, or even faith in love. His brother's suicide was a product of bullying and Matthew wants to blame everyone and can forgive no one, including himself.

This story covers everything from homosexuality to bullying to faith that there is a God who is taking care of us. At first I was pretty frustrated in Matthew for his lack of faith and his ideals of there not even possibly being a God. As our Author says in her Author's note in the book, "I kept coming back to the thought that being a teen should be about asking big questions rather than cutting yourself off from them. Not 'there can't possibly be.' but rather, 'what if there is?' Or even, 'what if it's completely different than anyone assumes?'" To me that says a lot about the Author, her thought process and ideas. That is the reason I love Ellen Hopkins. She does have the ability to make us feel, make us think, and make us understand. She wrote this a way for readers to see Matthew grow, to see him feel, think and understand. She wrote about Christianity and what it has become, and what it should not be, a courtroom full of judges.

Bullies in society today need to read a book like this, or really any book about bullies so they can see how their words effect those they push around, taunt and hurt. If only they were to switch shoes with the people they degrade every day. I don't care how young or old these bullies are, they have definitely not been taught the value of life, understanding or love of a fellow human being. And those parents should also be held accountable for the heartache their children cause others. Others will say 'Well they made a choice to take their own life.' Yes but you, the bully, drove them there.

The characters are always the best part of Hopkin's stories. I like to see them grow and learn and become who they are meant to become. I think her characters are always so beautifully created. They are flawed and have so many issues. I have to say my favorite character in this story is Alexa. I love her love of life, her straightforwardness, her honesty, and her ability to see through the drivel and nonsense. She is probably in my list of top five favorite characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Her books. I think everyone should experience at least one book by this author. I really don't think anyone would be disappointed. I am rating this one a 4.5 stars. ...more

__________________✎Review:This book is one of my favorites. I can re-read this every day. I loved it.

This is the first book ever read by Ellen Hopkins. I thought it would take time to get used to the writing. But not at all. I was used to it the first 5 minutes.

I don't know her another books, but i'll read them all. Mark my words, I'LL, READ, THEM, ALL. Thats how good this book was. I want to tell you guys so much more, but i think you should go find it out by your self.__________________★ Why 5 stars?

The characters are so well done, the plot is so well done, the writing is so done, EVERYTHING IS SO WELL DONE!---------------------♥The Characters:

Matthew Turner :Damn. It's been a long time age that i've loved a main-character so much. Matt is such a realistic person. I would totally hang out with this dude. He does 1 stupid thing. But ican't help it to still loe him.

Alexa:This girl stole my heart. I want her as my girlfriend.

Hayden: This girl is a dumb bitch. And i hate her. Really much.

In General: All the characters are so beautiful written. I love them all (except Hayden) _____________________________❀TV-SHOW OR MOVIE?

This would be a perfect Mini-series for netflix. No joke, this really would work out._____________________________✧Beste Quotes:“But who ever said the easiest pathis the one you should choose?”

“Love is a fragile thing, easily destroyed by dishonesty.” _____________________________✗Little notes: - If you are christen, then this may not be the book for you. Matt says some things about God and everything around that. His girlfriend Hayden is a Christen, and thats why it's been talked about in this book._____________________________

Thanks to Heidi at YA Bibliophile, who received the ARC and passed it on to me, knowing that I am a huge Ellen Hopkins fan. Thanks, Heidi! Another powerful, impactful novel by the brilliant Ellen Hopkins.

RUMBLE opens your eyes to religion,it's influenceon dating, sex,homosexuality.Family broken.Love a token.What if Dadfelt trappedto marry? Notfor love. Guess why? Would you protect,support, defend,your gaybrother?Would you standagainst bigots?Religious zealotsdetermined to shutyou up? Slapyou doThanks to Heidi at YA Bibliophile, who received the ARC and passed it on to me, knowing that I am a huge Ellen Hopkins fan. Thanks, Heidi! Another powerful, impactful novel by the brilliant Ellen Hopkins.

1. The topic of religion was very prominent and interesting to read about.2. Alexa was a great character that I would have liked to see more of.3. The family dynamic and also the problems in the Turner family were depicted in an authentic way.4. The writing could have also been written as an ongoing text, the verse didn't make much sense to me in this one.5. In the end not all was well, but that was only a part of Matt's life and in real life it isn't always as rosy as well.

1. The topic of religion was very prominent and interesting to read about.2. Alexa was a great character that I would have liked to see more of.3. The family dynamic and also the problems in the Turner family were depicted in an authentic way.4. The writing could have also been written as an ongoing text, the verse didn't make much sense to me in this one.5. In the end not all was well, but that was only a part of Matt's life and in real life it isn't always as rosy as well.

This was a very intense book. The topics of religion, suicide, homosexuality are controversial but the Ellen Hopkins has a way of really getting in there and bringing new light to the controversy. I love the way she doesn't avoid writing about these topics. Teen fiction is all over the place and most teens avoid Ellen partly because of the writing style and due to the books being too real. I wish more parents and other adults would read these books and encourage teens to read these. Sometimes reThis was a very intense book. The topics of religion, suicide, homosexuality are controversial but the Ellen Hopkins has a way of really getting in there and bringing new light to the controversy. I love the way she doesn't avoid writing about these topics. Teen fiction is all over the place and most teens avoid Ellen partly because of the writing style and due to the books being too real. I wish more parents and other adults would read these books and encourage teens to read these. Sometimes reading about real life would be a great lesson....more

I absolutely loved this. This needs to be read with an opened mind, and may not be for religious minded people who do not do well with others who have different religious beliefs..

As well as an open mind to religion, an open mind to homosexuality is needed too because it's a huge topic in this book too. Even though it's 2014, it blows my mind on how our human race still can't accept that people are different and some people are gay.. One: it's nobody else's business and two: everyone has rightsI absolutely loved this. This needs to be read with an opened mind, and may not be for religious minded people who do not do well with others who have different religious beliefs..

As well as an open mind to religion, an open mind to homosexuality is needed too because it's a huge topic in this book too. Even though it's 2014, it blows my mind on how our human race still can't accept that people are different and some people are gay.. One: it's nobody else's business and two: everyone has rights and that includes freedom.

our main character Matt talks a lot of faith, religion and homosexuality. He lives in a town where the church has a strong hold on their community.-After so much anticipation before I even got to the end of this book, I loved it. There's been so many mixed reviews and feelings from readers that I've come to the conclution that, if you're an open-minded person about life and how other people live it, you'll enjoy this and if you're not hardcore religious or don't think your religious beliefs are correct compared to other religous beliefs, I think you might like this too.

Putting the plot of this book a side for a moment, I've always enjoyed Ellen Hopkins style of writing and how she keeps everything in verses. While I was reading Rumble I didn't have any problems keeping track of characters perspectives and there was a lot of information within all these pages in verse. I hadn't picked up an Ellen Hopkins book in a few years before Rumble and I had a constant state of mind that the book was going to be super short and quick, which it wasn't.

Rumble talks about religion, homosexuality and suicide as it's big plot points and even though it's 2014, it blows my mind on how our human race still has a hard time accepting that people are different and some people are gay.. One: it's nobody else's business what gender someone dates or their religious belief and two: everyone has rights and that includes freedom to date any gender and believe in whatever religion they want.

That said, let's get on with the review!

Matthew Turner lives in a community where the church has a lot of say within the community and trying to get into the school board as well and because of this Matt feels a little bit constricted. It's no secret from the beginning of this book what has happened to Matt's brother and the thing that striked me awful and saddening is that their own father, a gym teacher at the high school would bully one of his own sons because he was gay. The thing to remember while reading all this is that, This. Is. Real. This happens in real life. Connect to that everybody who's saying "I didn't connect with the characters".. What more of a connection is there that connecting to compassion for another person who is struggling and stripped from their human rights because of a blinding religion making it "WRONG" in their eyes. I think that is something to think about.

Matt's girlfriend, Hayden, the pastors daughter.. cannot think for herself and made so many bad decision when trying so hard to make the right decisions! I don't get it. How can the someone trying to make the right decision make so many wrong ones and hurt so many people in the way. To Matt she was the meanest girlfriend and never 100% there and always having a problem with Matt and who he was a person. Hayden, made a great example of how so many people are being the wrong person and misreading religion. Last time I checked, most religions main point is to be a better person, not the opposite. Hayden should have been able to accept Matt for who he was and about his life decisions, even if they were different than hers.

I get it, it's hard to be a teenager but it's not hard to stop and think for a moment that if the decisions you're making reflect good choices and if you're being the best of yourself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to read and it made me think about human rights, decision making, growing up, parenting and so much more. There's so much more to this book than what I explained but I'm getting very hyped up about all these great topics and this is already very long.

In short, this is a great book to reflect on so many topics that aren't supposed to be talked about at a dinner table and I love it. They're my favourite topics. Everyone should have the right to express their human rights and this is a great reflection in an adolescent atmosphere, which is the best time to learn and accept different people and their choices....more

Normally Ellen Hopkins' stories captivate me right from the start but sadly Rumble failed to do that. I found it hard to connect with the main character and that made it harder to enjoy the story. There were some parts and characters that I did enjoy though. The main one being Alexa. She's what made me want to finish this book and what made it interesting for me. Something about her just sparked my interest and I loved her! Towards the ending of the book it got a little more interesting and MattNormally Ellen Hopkins' stories captivate me right from the start but sadly Rumble failed to do that. I found it hard to connect with the main character and that made it harder to enjoy the story. There were some parts and characters that I did enjoy though. The main one being Alexa. She's what made me want to finish this book and what made it interesting for me. Something about her just sparked my interest and I loved her! Towards the ending of the book it got a little more interesting and Matt finally became a bit more relatable. All in all, I enjoyed some parts of this book but overall it lacked the usual magic of Hopkins' stories....more

I received a copy of this book in exchanged for a honest review. In no way did the author or publishing company influence my review. For info on my book reviews, how I can help promote your book, and rating scale, visit my blog fashion by the book on tumblr.

Ok, I get that everyone loves Ellen Hopkins’. I personally, haven’t read any of her books before Rumble. But if they’re anything like this one, I won’t be reading them anytime soon.

I found Rumble so boring, I couldn’t get through 200 pages. YI received a copy of this book in exchanged for a honest review. In no way did the author or publishing company influence my review. For info on my book reviews, how I can help promote your book, and rating scale, visit my blog fashion by the book on tumblr.

Ok, I get that everyone loves Ellen Hopkins’. I personally, haven’t read any of her books before Rumble. But if they’re anything like this one, I won’t be reading them anytime soon.

I found Rumble so boring, I couldn’t get through 200 pages. Yeah, that’s right. I didn’t finished it. This is the first time I’ve done that, I won’t be making a habit of leaving books unfinished because now I feel like the book is mocking me because it defeated me. Never again.

*Clears throat* Sorry about those dramatics. Um, so anyways, Rumble is the story of Matthew, who’s brother committed suicide after being bullied for being gay. Basically, this, obviously terrible, sends Matthew into a Christian-and-all-other-religion-Hating rampage, where he’s a jerk to everyone and everything for any reason at all. I’m not saying that he didn’t have a right to be angry, but I kind of hated the guy. He was so hateful to everyone.

A big part of this book was religion. I’m religious, of course, so his total hatred of all religion made me pretty angry. Most of my friends are a mix of christian, atheist and other religions, and we all get along great, so I found Matthew’s total disgust for all religion unbelievable. He was so angry at people for believing in something bigger then themselves. It wasn’t normal.

Was there a plot in this book? Because after 200 pages, the only plot I could find is basically him and his (awful) parents, his girlfriend, a party, and some stupid fights. Supposedly, there is suppose to be a big, tragic event at some point, so I skimmed the last 100 pages or so, and if the (no spoilers) event is what happened there, then I think that’s pretty bad writing to save the highlight of the story for the ending. I also felt like the book was a weird ripoff of Perks of Being A Wallflower.

Anyways, this isn’t a real review. I won’t be writing one because I couldn’t get through this boring, brick of a novel. If you like Hopkins’ writing, you’ll probably like it. I just don’t think it’s for me....more

Anyways, I definitely did not like this much as her other two books that I've read.

The main character, Matt, has lost his brother, Luke recently in this novel. His brother was gay and was bullied to the point of suicide. I thought this was a great topic in my opinion, but the characters were so dreadful at times.

I loved the essays that Matt wrote, they were probably my favorite part of the book. The writing was not as captivating as Impulse and Perfect. I don't like to always compare3.75 stars

Anyways, I definitely did not like this much as her other two books that I've read.

The main character, Matt, has lost his brother, Luke recently in this novel. His brother was gay and was bullied to the point of suicide. I thought this was a great topic in my opinion, but the characters were so dreadful at times.

I loved the essays that Matt wrote, they were probably my favorite part of the book. The writing was not as captivating as Impulse and Perfect. I don't like to always compare books, but if I had too, this book wouldn't even be 4 stars.

(view spoiler)[ Matt slept with Alexa while he was dating Hayden! Then, he always got mad and lied to Hayden when she assumed something about the two of them. He pissed me off for a great deal of this book. I was glad that he finally realized Alexa was the right one for him, but he should have realized that before sleeping with her. (hide spoiler)]

I still couldn't get over how homophobic Matt's father was. His father was one of the reasons I will not give this book 5 stars. For over half of the book, he is an angered father acting horrible with his kid around him. I, for one, cannot stand when a parent continuously cusses at their child. (view spoiler)[ Then, the entire deal with Lorelei and his dad. We basically learn that his dad has been cheating on his mom for who knows how long. It's absolutely ridiculous. I understand Hopkins is trying to captivate me with her writing, but a situation like this was ridiculous for me. (hide spoiler)]

The ending shocked me, and it was a little rushed, I'll admit that. (view spoiler)[ I didn't expect Gus to be apart of the ending considering his ass was so pointless in this book. He was sympathetic for Matt once, then he wants to shoot him at the end? Makes total sense. It did make me happy to see everyone trying to help him out by the end with his sight and hearing. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It had lots of sad moments and happy moments. Matt finally learned a lesson by the end of this book, and I was proud of that....more

I was not a fan of this book. The main character seemed only go on about his girlfriend for the half of the book. Also, there was an underdevelopment of the relationship he had with his brother, which seemed extremely important but was nearly as expounded upon as his relationship with his girlfriend. Also, the climax of the book happened with only 30 pages left in the rest of the book. It had an overall unsatisfying conclusion because it didn't seem as though much changed about his belief systemI was not a fan of this book. The main character seemed only go on about his girlfriend for the half of the book. Also, there was an underdevelopment of the relationship he had with his brother, which seemed extremely important but was nearly as expounded upon as his relationship with his girlfriend. Also, the climax of the book happened with only 30 pages left in the rest of the book. It had an overall unsatisfying conclusion because it didn't seem as though much changed about his belief system. He knows something happened, but if that changed his viewpoint or perspective the book doesn't state it. I also felt as though the christian characters in the book were stereotypical. But that it just how I viewed it. The book was also suppose to talk about faith as a whole, but seemed to focus mostly on just one. Overall, I was very disappointed, because I really looked forward to this book. But badly developed characters, extremely slow plot, and lack any real conclusion about his viewpoint ruined the book for me. But this is my opinion of the book. ...more

This is the first book by Ellen Hopkins that I've read - now I see why she is SO popular with our students! She deals with controversial topics and Rumble is no exception. The central character is Matt, whose parents are barely speaking to each other, his girlfriend is becoming a bit distant as her church exerts a greater influence, he no longer speaks to his best friend and his younger brother Luke has died after committing suicide following being bullied for being gay. So he has quite a bit toThis is the first book by Ellen Hopkins that I've read - now I see why she is SO popular with our students! She deals with controversial topics and Rumble is no exception. The central character is Matt, whose parents are barely speaking to each other, his girlfriend is becoming a bit distant as her church exerts a greater influence, he no longer speaks to his best friend and his younger brother Luke has died after committing suicide following being bullied for being gay. So he has quite a bit to deal with! Matt is understandably angry, but he is a sensible guy and is easy to emphathise with. This is a real book about real teens with real problems in their lives. The verse novel format makes it a less dense read than it might otherwise be, and the issues are handled incredibly well by the author (IMHO). This book deserves to be widely read....more

This is my first ever 1-star review of a book by Ellen Hopkins. I've given her, at the lowest, 3 stars, or 2.5 if we want to be technical. I've had a rough time with her lately. I didn't like Collateral. I thought she fell way short of the mark. However, that was an adult novel by her, so I thought maybe I just didn't like her adult stuff. The only problem was, I really enjoyed Triangles, an adult book that I really connected with.

This is my first ever 1-star review of a book by Ellen Hopkins. I've given her, at the lowest, 3 stars, or 2.5 if we want to be technical. I've had a rough time with her lately. I didn't like Collateral. I thought she fell way short of the mark. However, that was an adult novel by her, so I thought maybe I just didn't like her adult stuff. The only problem was, I really enjoyed Triangles, an adult book that I really connected with.

Last summer, I was privileged enough to get an ARC ofLove Lies Beneath. Boy, that one fell short, too. It was one where there were high points where I thought: "Yes! Here it comes! The Ellen Hopkins twist where it leaves me breathless and terrified!" But, pages later it went down to the mind-numbingly boring information that I just didn't like. Again, I thought that I wasn't the target audience. I'm not a middle aged, white, cisgender woman. So, I brushed it off, just thinking that I'm not interested in her woman's fiction stab, which is fine by me.

Then this one came around.

I've literally owned this book from the publishing day. Ellen Hopkins is one of the only YA authors I trust not to lead me wrong into something I don't like. Again... I was wrong. And I'm so, so sad that I was.

Matt, our MC, was... I'm going to put it bluntly. He was a whiny 18 year old boy who needs to make peace with the fact that his brother killed himself and stop blaming God (because, that's who he was blaming ultimately, let's face it) for something that God couldn't control. You don't have to believe in the Christian God to say this. He's an angry atheist. I am annoyed by angry atheists. I like friendly atheists, and when I identified as an atheist, I was definitely a friendly one. You keep with your beliefs, I'll keep with mine. Don't force yours on me. If I've said it once to angry atheists, I've said it a million times. Religions, most of the time, don't cause the problems. They preach for the masses and want to gather people into their fold. It's the people who do the interpretations that cause the problems.

So, there.

Matt annoyed the hell out of me. From his whiny self to his faux-deep thought about religion that just came out as, again, whiny. Now, I understand Matt's angst. I get it. Really, I do. His little brother was gay and was mercilessly bullied by people at school, people he thought was his friends, his damned parents even. And, he imploded instead of exploded. He killed himself. Their family is falling apart worse than before. Matt is the only one left to hold together the pieces, all while he deals with his grief and the fear of losing his girlfriend, Hayden, who, quite frankly, seemed quite distant from him before the huge twist that happened. (view spoiler)[It was a good twist, but not too shocking. I didn't like her. Nor did I like Matt. All right, that's not really a spoiler, but this is. When he cheated on Hayden with Alexa, that's where I really hit my limit of being okay with what he did. I don't condone cheating. It's an asshole thing to do, even if you're in a failing relationship. (hide spoiler)]

There was that. I hated the MC. It happens a bit for me, but I typically give a book higher than 1-star. More like, 2 to 2.5 stars. But, I didn't like the pacing. Literally, taken from the Goodreads description:

But when a horrific event plunges Matt into a dark, silent place, he hears a rumble…a rumble that wakes him up, calling everything he’s ever disbelieved into question.

I LITERALLY GOT 70% INTO THE BOOK AND NO RUMBLE? Where the fuck was the aforementioned rumble? No where. None at all. That is the worst description ever. It should have been titled something else since the "rumble" never came. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for it. But, nothing. That description -- and the whole description in general -- is the most misleading thing I've ever read.

Bad MC.Horrible pacing.

Yet, again, I'm putting some of the blame on myself. I decided to listen to this book instead of read it. I know it shouldn't make a difference, but this is poetry. I always feel a bit of power, all tingly, when I read Ellen Hopkin's poetry. Her use of language and the way it's formatted on the page makes me feel in awe and constantly speculating what she meant by things. And, I lost that magic since this was read straight like a book. No cadence of poetry to it at all, not in the way I read her books.

I may not preorder another book from her, but I'm going to continue reading her things. Specifically read the only book I own by her that I haven't read, Traffick. And I need to reread Tricks to do that....more

What I love about Ellen Hopkins is how fierce she is...how she will go dark places, intense places. She will say what most of us would avoid. And she does it all so young readers see themselves in her work. Chris Crutcher and Cheryl Rainfield have this same courage. It's a courage I envy, and I thank the stars for.

Without this courage, kids would be more isolated from issues of depression, bullying, homosexuality, suicide, PTSD the twin sided sword of revenge and guilt. Kids wouldn't see their oWhat I love about Ellen Hopkins is how fierce she is...how she will go dark places, intense places. She will say what most of us would avoid. And she does it all so young readers see themselves in her work. Chris Crutcher and Cheryl Rainfield have this same courage. It's a courage I envy, and I thank the stars for.

Without this courage, kids would be more isolated from issues of depression, bullying, homosexuality, suicide, PTSD the twin sided sword of revenge and guilt. Kids wouldn't see their own disfunctional familes in print, and would think they were alone in the world. They wouldn't see people their age struggling with questions of faith and fidelity. "We read to know we're not alone." We read these authors KNOWING they are speaking for others who have never seen themselves in print.

Matt is trying to survive the loss of his brother at his own hand, his parents' marriage finally cracking apart, and huge questions of faith and God. Any one of these issues would be tough, but he's trying to stay sane as he works through all of this. He writes an essay, which is excerpted through the novel, which is angry, and alarms his teachers and counselors...problem is, his dad is a science teacher at the school, and that certainly complicates issues. We know Matt is entitled to his crisis of faith, and as a teacher, I wish he had ONE teacher who would have done more than go through the motions.

Death always puts a strain on a family. This one opens cracks that have existed for years as everyone, Matt, and his parents, deal with their grief in different ways: booze, escaping into sports and religion, flaming fights and icy silences. The faults have been found, and they are growing.

Luke's secret admission to Matt of his homosexuality somehow became public, and Luke was bullied mercilessly...online and face-to-face. Their dad, the athlete, couldn't move past it and participates in the bullying in his own way. Luke finds it all too much to bear, and his family is left behind to find a way to survive.

Matt has a girlfriend who seems perfect, but the reader can see the fissures, and we recognize them before Matt does.

The examples he sees of people of faith are not reassuring or supportive or open or loving. Not his mother, not his girlfriends, not his friends. He needs a sign...he needs peace...but that doesn't seem likely to happen.

I appreciated the one voice of this novel...I could continue this journey with Matt without being interrupted to follow another character...that said, his girlfriend, Hayden, and friend Alexa, and especially his brother, Luke, would have made strong narrators...but this focus on JUST Matt works for me.

An aspect of the book I found chilling because it's so real is the subplot about attempting to censor THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky, on the grounds of one gay relationship...I know that book; I understand its power...I've had one of my own personal copies defaced by a mother who objected to the language.

I see book banning as the next agenda item for school reformers, and I know books I love, books kids love, will be targets for bigots wrapping themselves with their personal religion. Hopkins, Crutcher, and Rainfield are frequent targets for censors who will never get it...never understand how important books are for helping young people...and not so young people...find their way in the world.

Often in Hopkins' books, there's a twist, a surprise. This time there is an incident that forces Matt to look honestly, to reach out, to find his own faith again.

Man, I am so grateful Ellen Hopkins is in the world talking to young people, and that I got to share her books with them.

Poor, poor Luke. To feel like your life will never get better, that the bullies will always win, that no matter what you do, you cannot escape their cruel words and your fragile psyche is punctured and ripped day in and day out, until you can only just give up, is, I’m sure one of the worst, most isolated feelings someone could feel. Especially a kid at the beginning of his life. He should have only had to worry about school and grades, what games he was going to play when he got home,3.5 Stars

Poor, poor Luke. To feel like your life will never get better, that the bullies will always win, that no matter what you do, you cannot escape their cruel words and your fragile psyche is punctured and ripped day in and day out, until you can only just give up, is, I’m sure one of the worst, most isolated feelings someone could feel. Especially a kid at the beginning of his life. He should have only had to worry about school and grades, what games he was going to play when he got home, practice at basketball, and spend time with a loving family. However, that’s not what Luke had to worry about. He only worried about the taunts, the pictures, the cruelty that children in packs can be, and he had no one to turn to. The loving family had been broken long before, and Luke really had no one to turn to. He thought he had his brother, Matthew, but Matt told him to ignore it, that it would end or the kids would get bored. But, they didn’t, and in the end Luke couldn’t take it anymore.

I have never seen suicide as weak, or as a coward’s way out. I have only ever felt sorrow for those who’ve felt they had nothing left to gain in this world, and so why stay?

RUMBLE is the story of Matt following Luke’s suicide. The older brother carrying the weight of his brother’s death on his shoulders, the guilt turning into an anger and hatred towards himself, those that bullied Luke, God, his family and faith itself. We seem him as this angry teenager and he progresses to, well, still an angry teenager, but at least he heals throughout the story.

The characters of the story in RUMBLE, were for the most part, extremely realistic to me. From Matt’s self loathing and anger to Hayden’s Christian fundamentalist beliefs, it all really felt accurate.

My favorite character was Alexa, an ex-friend of Hayden’s who becomes extremely important to Matt and his learning to forgive. She was down to earth and a friend first, though she made it no secret to Matt that she loved him. Although I’m usually against love triangles, since my thoughts of Hayden really early on were negative (and accurate), I liked where Hopkins went with Matt’s love interest. He needed someone like Alexa.

The parents in this story were pretty much non-existent, but there were a couple of adults that played very important parts in Matt’s life, namely his uncle and aunt. I really liked them, and thought that they inadvertently adopted their nephew, when Matt’s parents were so disconnected with his (and their own) lives.

Overall, I really liked this novel, and while I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, I definitely think it’s a decent book, and if you want some YA angst, coming of age kind of story, maybe give RUMBLE a try....more

-Matt was such an interesting character. He felt so real and genuine that sometimes I forgot that I was reading. It felt like I was the air following him around and personally witnessing the events in this life.

-Ellen has a way with words that is so simplistic yet so powerful

-The plot was very intriguing. I thought that Matt as an atheist was a very bold choice made by Ellen for a character.

-The climax was so unexpected and it had me on the edge of my seat until that one dThis was really good.

-Matt was such an interesting character. He felt so real and genuine that sometimes I forgot that I was reading. It felt like I was the air following him around and personally witnessing the events in this life.

-Ellen has a way with words that is so simplistic yet so powerful

-The plot was very intriguing. I thought that Matt as an atheist was a very bold choice made by Ellen for a character.

-The climax was so unexpected and it had me on the edge of my seat until that one dark page

_ I really loved how Ellen showed how ignorant and fed up people can get. She showed how all of the christian freaks in this book blindly did things in the name of the lord. She also showed how easy it is to sway an opinion. When Hayden enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower but then rejected it because the bible told her to trust her father, she showed how blind people can really be which i found disturbing yet impactful

I personally can relate to this book. I think everyone can. I'm not saying everyone believes in God or doesn't but that everyone who reads this can relate to doubt. Self doubt and spiritual doubt. I think this book was very powerful and beautiful. The message was impactful and firm.If you get the chance to read this book, don't hesitate!...more

I really liked this book and how easy it was to read. The format of the writing was really unique and made it more enjoyable. I gave it 4 stars because the story was good and the main character was really interesting but it was somewhat of a teenage book with cheesy romance. All in all it was good.

This book was intense! It starts with a huge bang with Matt's brother's suicide, Matt's grief, and the way he is coping (or NOT coping) with his brother's death.

Rumble tackles a lot of subjects, but I'm afraid it had too many on its plate. It talks about homosexuality, suicide, atheism, what it means to be a true christian (or a religious person in general) and bullying.

Matt is mourning his brother's death, and learning to live with his parents' detachment, and their remarkablyactual rating 3.5

This book was intense! It starts with a huge bang with Matt's brother's suicide, Matt's grief, and the way he is coping (or NOT coping) with his brother's death.

Rumble tackles a lot of subjects, but I'm afraid it had too many on its plate. It talks about homosexuality, suicide, atheism, what it means to be a true christian (or a religious person in general) and bullying.

Matt is mourning his brother's death, and learning to live with his parents' detachment, and their remarkably hateful comments on what led Luke to take his own life. Matt's dad repeatedly calls Luke a weakling and a "pussy" because he wasn't strong enough to take the bullying. While his mother says that she loved her son till he "became aware of who he really was"

The story keeps building up with blame. Blame is an easy game to play when you throw it on everyone but yourself, but it's the hardest thing when you start blaming yourself for something that you can never change.

Matt is a likable character, he has his flaws and low points, but you can't help but feel for him. I particularly choked up whenever he talked about how he loved his brother and his shame for brushing off the glaring warning signs before the invertible happened.

Where does Rumble fail exactly? I'd say the ending left too many loose ends, that didn't get to be tied up. The novel kept going on and on about blame and the need to forgive, but forgiveness came in two pages and felt unrealistic and way too rushed.

1. Did his parents ever say anything about how they truly felt about Luke's death? Did they apologize for their absence which led to it? Did they promise to be in Matt's life? what made Matt forgive them anyway?

2. Matt never does anything to repent for his guilt, he just goes and says "I forgave myself" and Poof! it's all good. I figured he would do something, ANYTHING in the loving memory of his baby bro, but that never happened.

3. Ellen never answers the question that was posed in the premise "can an atheist be saved"?

Favorite Quotes:

"Perspective is an amazing thing.sometimes it takes distance to findit, and when you're not used tolooking very far beyond your inventedwalls, it might take a fresh pair of eyes."

"But Luke isn't here. He took his own life, a victim of intolerance. Maybe if the kids who drove him over the brink had read the right books Maybe they would have shown the tolerance their parents and ministers never taught them."

Rumble is a dramatic story of a young boy dealing with grief, loss, and lots of guilt.

Matt has lost his little brother a few months ago as the story begins. We soon find out that his brother, Luke, was gay and committed suicide.

Matt's parents are falling apart, not that they've ever been great parents, but since Luke's death, things are even worse. Thank goodness Matt has Hayden, the girl of his dreams.

But Hayden is becoming more and more involved with her church youth group, and the youth minisRumble is a dramatic story of a young boy dealing with grief, loss, and lots of guilt.

Matt has lost his little brother a few months ago as the story begins. We soon find out that his brother, Luke, was gay and committed suicide.

Matt's parents are falling apart, not that they've ever been great parents, but since Luke's death, things are even worse. Thank goodness Matt has Hayden, the girl of his dreams.

But Hayden is becoming more and more involved with her church youth group, and the youth minister, and Matt is thoroughly convinced there is no God and isn't keeping quiet about it. These conflicting beliefs and jealousy cause turmoil in their relationship.

There's a lot of turmoil in Matt's life, and he has a seemingly good therapist to help him, but she doesn't appear very often. The story is slowly revealed about just how and why Luke killed himself and why Matt is feeling like it's his fault.

Matt has a handgun that his father bought him. And no (thankfully) this isn't a story about a kid going off the deep end and shooting someone. I loved how responsible Matt was about using and storing the gun. Since shooting happens to be one of my hobbies, it was nice to see a story that showed that not everyone with a gun is out to blow people away. Matt shoots at his uncle's shooting range, and his uncle becomes a refuge as well as a confidant.

Rumble is compelling and interesting. It reads quickly (as all Hopkins' books do). But I'm not sure she can ever stand up to her earlier books, especially Crank. Rumble just doesn't pack the emotional punch of some of her other books. I would still recommend it, because it's a great story and can open up discussions about faith, bullying, and homosexuality.

It is disappointing that the eARC of Rumble isn't written in the proper free-verse format. The lines all just run together like paragraphs. I think the final book will be easier to read and more entertaining in its intended format....more

As all of Ellen Hopkins's other books, this is very well-written. However, I struggle to like it as I did all of the other ones. It's not that I find it boring or dragging or any other thing like that. It's more that the book's description led me to believe it was going to be about his struggle to overcome his family and peers, his struggle to discover his own faith, and his struggle to surmount the tragedy that has befallen him.

Those struggles do happen, but the overcoming and the discovering aAs all of Ellen Hopkins's other books, this is very well-written. However, I struggle to like it as I did all of the other ones. It's not that I find it boring or dragging or any other thing like that. It's more that the book's description led me to believe it was going to be about his struggle to overcome his family and peers, his struggle to discover his own faith, and his struggle to surmount the tragedy that has befallen him.

Those struggles do happen, but the overcoming and the discovering and the surmounting do not. At least not until the very end. His moral questions and change of heart do not show up until the climax, which is roughly 30 pages from the end in a 560 page book. Intended to be a grey world, it is instead very black and white. There are Matt's versions of good and evil, and never once does he waver from these beliefs until a new tragedy forces him to.

When he finally does have his questions, it is the result of a horrible accident. There is no question in my mind that his faltering would not have come about had it not been for an accident. Furthermore, people tend to be grateful for life after such an event and they do change, but sometimes just for a short while.

By the time his questions and inner changes come about, they are so close to the end that they are unbelievable. They are especially not welcome changes as he has spent over 500 pages making us hate and resent the other people in his life and making us believe in the absoluteness of his views. The transition is much too sudden, rendering it fantastical. This element of falsehood is especially disappointing, as all of Ellen Hopkins's other books have left me breathless with the stark reality they portray.

It starts out with a troubled boy, facing problems with everything in his life. His girlfriend, his beliefs, his losses... Everything. And it continues this way until around half of the book.

In the middle, things start to unravel. His girlfriend, his parents, his family, his LIFE, in general, is slowly unwinding and becoming a huge mess.

Until something tremendously unexpected blows him off of his feet, andOh my gosh this book... Unlike any that I've ever read before. And I've read quite a few.

It starts out with a troubled boy, facing problems with everything in his life. His girlfriend, his beliefs, his losses... Everything. And it continues this way until around half of the book.

In the middle, things start to unravel. His girlfriend, his parents, his family, his LIFE, in general, is slowly unwinding and becoming a huge mess.

Until something tremendously unexpected blows him off of his feet, and changes his perspective of life forever.

This book is purely amazing, being written in a form similar to poetry, but not quite. As a person who is not familiar with poetry, nor its style, I was hesitant to start this book but since my school librarian recommended it... Might was well try.

And it really changes my whole outlook of life. What a book. You really know how incredible a book is by seeing how drastically it affects you, and this book... It pretty much expanded my mindset completely.

However, I do have a tiny little question mark. Or criticism, I should say. The ending seems a bit too... Sudden. If Ms. Hopkins slowed it down a bit, then this would be perfect.

~OVERALL~

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins is an incredible book. It really broadens your outlook on the whole idea of religion, and faith itself. Also, everything is very unique and well-written. The plot is absolutely phenomenal and... I don't know what else to say. Rumble is just THAT amazing.

"Because if there's one thing I've learned through all this, it's to have faith in love." ...more

Ellen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkinEllen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkins.com.

Like most of you here, books are my life. Reading is a passion, but writing is the biggest part of me. Balance is my greatest challenge, as I love my family, friends, animals and home, but also love traveling to meet my readers. Hope I meet many of you soon!...more